Sorel Caribou Review

The Sorel Caribou is a classic Pac boot, a design that has both advantages and disadvantages. In general, Pac boots are very comfortable and offer a spacious, sometimes sloppy, fit. They have the benefit of a removable liner that allows you to dry them out quickly should you sweat too much or get moisture inside of them. The Caribou is absolutely warm and waterproof, though it isn't the most comfortable or grippy on slippery surfaces.

Performance Comparison

Warm, waterproof, and easy to put on, the Caribou is a great choice for shoveling snow or performing other outdoor winter chores.

Photo: Elizabeth Riley

Warmth

The Pac Boot style construction of these boots means their warmth comes from the 9mm thick ThermoPlus felt inner boot. Upon first inspection, after removing it from the boot, we were a little disappointed at the thickness and the opening of the tongue of this inner liner. However, we reserved judgment until after testing, figuring that the Caribou wouldn't have been around so long if they hadn't gotten something right. Turns out they are plenty warm, among the warmest in our ice bucket test. These boots are warm enough for all but the worst winter weather, and in that case, a thick wool sock should add enough insulation to get the job done.

The Caribou is a Pac boot, meaning it has a removable liner inside its shell. Here is the liner on the left and shell on the right. A nice advantage to this system is that it greatly aids in drying if things get wet.

Photo: Elizabeth Riley

Weather Protection

The Caribou keeps water, slush, and snow at bay with a very effective molded rubber sole that extends up around the foot, creating a shell. The upper is a treated Nubuck leather that also resists water quite well, beading off water even after our full 8-minute ice bath immersion test. Since there is no inner waterproof membrane like those found on many winter hiking boots, they rely heavily on the outer shell. This means that an annual treatment of the Nubuck material will help them repel water longer. They are waterproof to a submersion depth of 10.5 inches, which is better than average in our review, and plenty for most winter activities like shoveling driveways filled with deep snow.

The ice bath test revealed that the Caribou boots are not only surprisingly warm but are also completely waterproof. The repellency of the leather upper is remarkable - after soaking for over eight minutes, we pulled them out and the interior was completely dry, not a hint of water absorbed.

Photo: Elizabeth Riley

Comfort and Fit

We hesitate to say that these boots are uncomfortable because their large and spacious fit guarantees a cozy and relaxed experience. However, there is no doubt that the fit could be a lot better. The problem is that they are gigantic, both in the fit and the design of the boot in general. Even with a very thick sock on, there is so much foot slop and movement inside this boot that we would consider sizing down. No amount of cranking the laces down will cinch up this boot to make it feel snug. The room on the inside isn't the only problem, though — the whole boot is just huge. We also can't get over how heavy they are. At 5.25 pounds for a pair of size 13 men's boots, these are over two pounds heavier than the average winter hiking boot. The sloppy fit, large design, and hefty weight guarantee that this is not a boot we want to wear if we have to walk long distances.

The large lacing grommets make it very easy to pull the laces tight with one pull. While laces are not as convenient as pull-on style boots, tying laces doesn't get much easier than with these Sorel's.

Photo: Elizabeth Riley

Traction

The Caribou features a proprietary rubber compound called Aerotrac, and the sole pattern is made up of small dot-shaped rounded lugs. The low-profile lugs perform best on slippery surfaces such as icy sidewalks, where increased surface area makes the boot grippier. For most other circumstances, however, traction is not one of this boots' strongest traits, likely because the lugs don't have enough bite.

The rounded dotted lug pattern on the Caribou is significantly different than most boots in this review. While it did okay in the snow, these boots did not grip as well as most, possibly due to the round lugs not biting as well upon contact.

Photo: Elizabeth Riley

Durability

It's worth mentioning that we are concerned there is a durability issue with the vulcanized rubber that forms the bottom lining of this boot. There are countless reports online from user reviews of this rubber cracking or splitting over time due to drying out or simple material fatigue. Numerous other people we have talked to directly confirmed that this had happened to them. Most of these reports claim that the issue started after a year. Our test period was not long enough to test these claims, and we experienced no such issues of cracking or splitting in our tests, but this is something to consider, and we will report back if this occurs on one of test pairs in the future.

The Caribou's rubber has been known to dry out and crack, though we didn't have issues with this during our test period.

Photo: Sam Willits

Value

This boot retails for about average for the contenders in this review. Its versatility is less than some of the other boots at this price, and we have already voiced concerns about the durability of the rubber used in the lowers, although we repeat that we didn't encounter that problem ourselves. Still, there are better boots out there for the price.

Conclusion

The Sorel Caribou has been around for the past 50 years and is many people's definition of a snow boot. The design concept is solid, and while we feel that it is not a suitable candidate for long winter hikes, it is an overall good winter boot that provides great warmth and weather resistance and is easy to use. It will fit the needs of many people looking for a quality boot to see them through the winter with a classic style.

The Sorel Caribou is a classic winter boot that keeps users warm and dry, but there are more comfortable and grippy options out there.

Photo: Sam Willits